Lifestyle

Are you looking forward to the fall weather and being able to get back in your garden? 

In anticipation of that time, Little River Basin Master Gardeners of Milam County are having their Fall Blooming Beauty Rose Sale on Oct. 14. 

The good news is that the sale will be held in two locations: the Rockdale Chamber of Commerce from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and downtown Cameron at the Steaktoberfest from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“Fall is the best time to plant roses, giving the roots ample time to get established and the plant time to prepare for its beautiful spring bloom,” said Master Gardener James Anderle. 

In addition to beautiful roses, you can get free advice from Master Gardeners at the sale, along with information about how to plant and care for your roses. These blooming beauties will sell for $18, which is under market value and you pay no tax since LRBMG is a non-profit organization. Mark your calendars now to save the date.

By Micah Holcombe

Texas A&M AgriLife - Milam County

Milam County 4-H will offer a Family Fun Day on June 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We will be going to Waco and visiting the Cameron Park Zoo and the Baylor Mayborn Museum. Transportation and a sack lunch will be on your own. 

We plan to meet at Cameron Park Zoo at 9 a.m. Then leave and have lunch at the Mayborn Museum pavilion then go to the museum. Price will be $10 each for Adults and Children and $5 each for 3 and under. Registration and money is due by June 1. Sign up and pay at the Extension Office. 

This is a great way to spend time with your family on a local adventure. 4-H membership is not required but we encourage you to join afterwards of course! Registration is required so we can order tickets at discounted amounts. No late registrations accepted.

Valentine’s Dance

St. Monica’s Catholic Church will host a Valentine’s Dance on Friday, Feb. 10, from 8 p.m. to midnight at Simon George Hall, 306 S. Nolan Avenue in Cameron. Music by DJ Luis with Tejano, Polka, Country, Norteno, Cumbias and more. BYOB, concession stand available. Tickets are $5. Ages 10 and under are free.

Milano VFD Fundraiser

The Milano Volunteer Fire Department has begun its annual fundraiser. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20.  Drawing will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at the MVFD’s annual chili supper.  You need not be present to win. All prizes received in Academy gift cards. Prizes are: Henry Golden Boy 22 LR, two Taurus Public Defender .45/410, Henry Golden 22 Cal. LR, Remington 700.270, Marlin 336W 30-30, Remington 870 Shotgun, Ruger American Bolt Action 22LR, Mossberg 817 17 HMR and $100 Academy gift card.  Contact any MVFD member to buy tickets. 

Ben Milam Elementary will host a Fall Scholastic Book Fair the week of Oct. 10-14. Families, faculty, and the community are invited to attend this fun reading event that helps inspire children to become lifelong readers.

The Book Fair will be open Monday, Oct.10, from noon to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 11, through Thursday, Oct. 13, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and Friday, Oct. 14, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A Family Fun Day event will be held on Monday, Oct. 10, all afternoon during Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Parents and students are invited to visit the book fair before or after their teacher conferences and to register their Ben Milam student or students for a chance to win $25 in free books for one lucky Ben Milam student and their teacher.

Special After School Family Book Fair shopping will be held Oct. 11-13 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the Ben Milam Library.

The Milam County 4-H Awards Banquet is held each year to honor those 4-H members who have excelled in their specific field(s) of interest throughout the year.  

These young men and women work hard to achieve various levels of accomplishment at the County, District, State, and National Levels.

The Annual 4-H Banquet will be held Sept. 11, at 3 p.m. at the Thorndale Volunteer Fireman’s Hall. 

We will be awarding and recognizing our 4-H sponsors and leaders as well as our 4-H members. 

We invite our 4-H members, leaders, and most importantly our outstanding leaders and sponsors.

We will have light refreshments and enjoy company, so please come and join us.

Sts. Cyril & Methodius Homecoming

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Marak will host the annual homecoming picnic on Sunday, Sept. 11. Mass begins at 10:15 a.m. and dinner will begin at 11 a.m. with a home fried chicken and sausage dinner for $10 a plate. Dine-in, drive through service and to-go plates will be available. Games begin at noon and entertainment will be provided by the Praha Brothers from 12:30-3:30 p.m. The fund raising auction will begin at 3:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend. The church is located seven miles northwest of Cameron on FM 2269.

Movie Night

The Milam County Retired School Personnel members will sponsor the Alfred Hitchcock movie classic, “North by Northwest” at the Kay Theater in Rockdale at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13.  The Milam County community is invited to join as the group pays tribute to the 100th birthday of the National Park Service. Admission is just $5. 

By Micah Holcombe

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent

Milam County 4-H is in full force for the new year.

Here are some upcoming events coming up that pertain to the Rockdale Fair

For any information about Rockdale Fair News, please visit http://counties.agrilife.org/mc4h/rockdale-fair/

Rockdale Fair Home Economics Division 

Rockdale Fair Home Economic Division Rules are posted on the website.

Rockdale Fair Home Economics Division activities will be conducted at the George Hill Patterson Community Center in Rockdale.  Check-in for the Home Economics Division starts on Thursday, Oct. 20,  and check out will be Saturday, Oct. 22, from 12-1 p.m. along with pictures at 12:30 p.m. 

By Micah Holcombe

County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences

In Texas, as everywhere, our youth are our future.  Oh, how we strive to develop and encourage hard work and dedication of our youth. The youth today will determine the leaders and citizens of the future, not only for Texas, but for the nation and the world. The 4-H program is the answer to achieve this goal! 

What is 4-H? 

4-H is learning by doing, and is available to all boys and girls in the Kindergarten through 12th grades, from urban, suburban and rural areas. First, an adult leader brings together youth that have common interests. Second, the youth choose one or more projects. Projects are chosen from among 100 project areas offered. Third, the group enrolls as a club, and fourth meets together to learn and have FUN. Clubs are able to explore 4-H activities, events and trips. In 4-H, there are events happening all year round. 

The theme “Dreams Can Be Fulfilled” became a reality for S’niya Diggs, who was selected winner of the O.J. Thomas Resource Center’s Little Miss Queen contest.

One of the main purposes of the annual pageant is to promote self-esteem and confidence in the young girls of the Cameron area. The Queen Program is designed to promote greater public understanding, awareness and interest in our forward progress in community unity. The queen and ambassadors share a unique opportunity to promote the community as well as an opportunity for personal, professional growth and development. 

Miss Diggs was sponsored as a contestant by the Cameron chapter and assisted by her family members, grandmother Denise Pittman and uncles Roland Kelley and Eric Kelley. 

She will represent and perform duties in the community in support of the organization’s goals for 2016-17.

The Christine Holcombe Memorial scholarship fund has awarded 14 Milam County college students a total of $12,000 in scholarships.

The collegiate scholarship fund was established in honor of longtime Milam County Extension Agent Christine Holcombe who lost her battle with cancer in 2013.  Funds for this scholarship were raised earlier this year at the Mardi Gras Gala.

“We had several deserving students who applied for the scholarships so it wasn’t an easy decision” said Dianne Braudrick of the scholarship committee. “Christine was always encouraging young people to focus on their education and follow their dreams and it was an honor to help select this year’s scholarship recipients.”

Here is a list of all the scholarship winners:

$1500 scholarship winners

• William Iselt of Thorndale is pursuing a civil engineering degree at Texas Tech

• A’Ja Reynolds of Cameron is studying psychology at Sam Houston State University